lady baltimore-第13部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


art　of　my　mind；　and　with　my　pencil　assisting；　I　composed　several　stanzas　to　my　kingly　ancestor；　the　goal　of　my　fruitless　search；　and　yet　during　the　whole　process　of　my　metrical　exercise　I　was　really　thinking　and　wondering　about　John　Mayrant；　his　battles　and　his　loves。

　　　　　　　　　　ODE　ON　INTIMATIONS　OF　ROYALTY

　　　　　　　　　　I　sing　to　thee；　thou　Great　Unknown；　　　　　　　　　　　Who　canst　connect　me　with　a　throne　　　　　　　　　　　Through　uncle；　cousin；　aunt；　or　sister；

　　　　　　　　　　But　not；　I　trust；　through　bar　sinister。

　　　　　　　　　　Chorus：　　　　　　　　　　　Gules！　Gules！　and　a　cuckoo　peccant！

Such　was　the　frivolous　opening　of　my　poem；　which；　as　it　progressed；　grew　even　less　edifying；　I　have　quoted　this　fragment　merely　to　show　you　how　little　reverence　for　the　Selected　Salic　Scions　was　by　this　time　left　in　my　spirit；　and　not　because　the　verses　themselves　are　in　the　least　meritorious；　they　should　serve　as　a　model　for　no　serious…minded　singer；　and　they　afford　a　striking　instance　of　that　volatile　mood；　not　to　say　that　inclination　to　ribaldry；　which　will　at　seasons　crop　out　in　me；　do　what　I　will。　It　is　my　hope　that　age　may　help　me　to　subdue　this；　although　I　have　observed　it　in　some　very　old　men。

I　did　not　send　my　poem　to　Aunt　Carola；　but　I　wrote　her　a　letter；　even　there　and　then；　couched　in　terms　which　I　believe　were　altogether　respectful。　I　deplored　my　lack　of　success　in　discovering　the　link　that　was　missing　between　me　and　king's　blood；　I　intimated　my　conviction　that　further　effort　on　my　part　would　still　be　met　with　failure；　and　I　renounced　with　fitting　expressions　of　disappointment　my　candidateship　for　the　Scions　thanking　Aunt　Carola　for　her　generosity；　by　which　I　must　now　no　longer　profit。　I　added　that　I　should　remain　in　Kings　Port　for　the　present；　as　I　was　finding　the　climate　of　decided　benefit　to　my　health；　and　the　courtesy　of　the　people　an　education　in　itself。

Whatever　pain　at　missing　the　glory　of　becoming　a　Scion　may　have　lingered　with　me　after　this　was　much　assuaged　in　a　few　days　by　my　reading　an　article　in　a　New　York　paper；　which　gave　an　account　of　a　meeting　of　my　Aunt's　Society；　held　in　that　city。　My　attention　was　attracted　to　this　article　by　the　prominent　heading　given　to　it：　THEY　WORE　THEIR　CROWNS。　This　in　very　conspicuous　Roman　capitals；　caused　me　to　sit　up。　There　must　have　been　truth　in　some　of　it；　because　the　food　eaten　by　the　Scions　was　mentioned　as　consisting　of　sandwiches；　sherry　and　croquettes；　yet　I　think　that　the　statement　that　the　members　present　addressed　each　other　according　to　the　royal　families　from　which　they　severally　traced　descent；　as；　for　example；　Brother　Guelph　and　Sister　Plantagenet；　can　scarce　have　beers　aught　but　an　exaggeration；　nevertheless；　the　article　brought　me　undeniable　consolation　for　my　disappointment。

After　finishing　my　letter　to　Aunt　Carola　I　should　have　hastened　out　to　post　it　and　escape　from　Cowpens；　had　I　not　remembered　that　John　Mayrant　had　more　or　less　promised　to　meet　me　here。　Now；　there　was　but　a　slender　chance　that　he　boy　would　speak　to　me　on　the　subject　of　his　late　encounter；　this　I　must　learn　from　other　sources；　but　he　might　speak　to　me　about　something　that　would　open　a　way　for　my　hostile　preparations　against　Miss　Rieppe。　So　far　he　had　not　touched　upon　his　impending　marriage　in　any　way；　but　this　reserve　concerning　a　fact　generally　known　among　the　people　whom　I　was　seeing　could　hardly　go　on　long　without　becoming　ridiculous。　If　he　should　shun　mention　of　it　to…day；　I　would　take　this　as　a　plain　sign　that　he　did　not　look　forward　to　it　with　the　enthusiasm　which　a　lover　ought　to　feel　for　his　approaching　bliss；　and　on　such　silence　from　him　I　would　begin；　if　I　could；　to　undermine　his　intention　of　keeping　an　engagement　of　the　heart　when　the　heart　no　longer　entered　into　it。

While　my　thoughts　continued　to　be　busied　over　this　lover　and　his　concerns；　I　noticed　the　works　of　William　Shakespeare　close　beside　me　upon　a　shelf；　and　although　it　was　with　no　special　purpose　in　mind　that　I　took　out　one　of　the　volumes　and　sat　down　with　it　to　wait　for　John　Mayrant；　in　a　little　while　an　inspiration　came　to　me　from　its　pages；　so　that　I　was　more　anxious　than　ever　the　boy　should　not　fail　to　meet　me　here　in　the　Library。

Was　it　the　bruise　on　his　forehead　that　had　perturbed　his　manner　just　now　when　he　entered　the　Exchange？　No；　this　was　not　likely　to　be　the　reason；　since　he　had　been　full　as　much　embarrassed　that　first　day　of　my　seeing　him　there；　when　he　had　given　his　order　for　Lady　Baltimore　so　lamely　that　the　girl　behind　the　counter　had　come　to　his　aid。　And　what　could　it　have　been　that　he　had　begun　to　tell　her　to…day　as　I　was　leaving　the　place？　Was　the　making　of　that　cake　again　to　be　postponed　on　account　of　the　General's　precarious　health？　And　what　had　been　the　nature　of　the　insult　which　young　John　Mayrant　had　punished　and　was　now　commanded　to　shake　hands　over？　Could　it　in　truth　be　the　owner　of　the　Hermana　whom　he　had　thrashed　so　well　as　to　lay　him　up　in　bed？　That　incident　had　damaged　two　people　at　least；　the　unknown　vanquished　combatant　in　his　bodily　welfare；　and　me　in　my　character　as　an　upstanding　man　in　the　fierce　feminine　estimation　of　Miss　La　Heu；　but　this　injury　it　was　my　intention　to　set　right；　my　confession　to　the　girl　behind　the　counter　was　merely　delayed。　As　I　sat　with　Shakespeare　open　in　my　lap；　I　added　to　my　store　of　reasoning　one　little　new　straw　of　argument　in　favor　of　my　opinion　that　John　Mayrant　was　no　longer　at　ease　or　happy　about　his　love　affair。　I　had　never　before　met　any　young　man　in　whose　manner　nature　was　so　finely　tempered　with　good　bringing…up；　forwardness　and　shyness　were　alike　absent　from　him；　and　his　bearing　had　a　sort　of　polished　unconsciousness　as　far　removed　from　raw　diffidence　as　it　was　from　raw　conceit；　it　was　altogether　a　rare　and　charming　address　in　a　youth　of　such　true　youthfulness；　but　it　had　failed　him　upon　two　occasions　which　I　have　already　mentioned。　Both　times　that　he　had　come　to　the　Exchange　he　had　stumbled　in　his　usually　prompt　speech；　lost　his　habitual　ease；　and　betrayed；　in　short；　all　the　signs　of　being　disconcerted。　The　matter　seemed　suddenly　quite　plain　to　me：　it　was　the　nature　of　his　errands　to　the　Exchange。　The　first　time　he　had　been　ordering　the　cake　for　his　own　wedding；　and　to…day　it　was　something　about　the　wedding　again。　Evidently　the　high　mettle　of　his　delicacy　and　breeding　made　him　painfully　conscious　of　the　view　which　others　must　take　of　the　part　that　Miss　Rieppe　was　playing　in　all　thisa　view　from　which　it　was　out　of　his　power　to　shield　her；　and　it　was　this　consciousness　that　destroyed　his　composure。　From　what　I　was　soon　to　learn　of　his　fine　and　unmoved　disregard　for　unfavorable　opinion　when　he　felt　his　course　to　be　the　right　one；　I　know　that　it　was　no　thought　at　all　of　his　own　scarcely　heroic　role　during　these　days；　but　only　the　perception　that　outsiders　must　detect　in　his　affianced　lady　some　of　those　very　same　qualities　which　had　chilled　his　too　precipitate　passion　for　her；　and　left　him　alone；　without　romance；　without　family　sympathy；　without　social　acclamations；　with　nothing　indeed　save　his　high…strung　notion　of　honor　to　help　him　bravely　face　the　wedding　march。　How　appalling　must　the　wedding　march　sound　to　a　waiting　bridegroom　who　sees　the　bride；　that　he　no　longer　looks　at　except　with　distaste　and　estrangement；　coming　nearer　and　nearer　to　him　up　the　aisle！　A　funeral　march　would　be　gayer　than　that　music；　I　should　think！　The　thought　came　to　me　to　break　out　bluntly　and　say　to　him：　〃Countermand　the　cake！　She's　only　playing　with　you　while　that　yachtsman　is　making　up　his　mind。〃　But　there　could　be　but　one　outcome　of　such　advice　to　John　Mayrant：　two　people；　instead　of　one；　would　be　in　bed　suffering　from　contusions。　As　I　mused　on　the　boy　and　his　attractive　and　appealing　character；　I　became　more　rejoiced　than　ever　that　he　had　thrashed　somebody；　I　cared　not　very　much　who　nor　yet　very　much　why；　so　long　as　such　thrashing　had　been　thorough；　which　seemed　quite　evidently　and　happily　the　case。　He　stood　now　in　my　eyes；　in　some　way　that　is　too　obscure　for　me　to　be　able　to　explain　to　you；　saved　from　some　reproach　whose　subtlety　likewise　eludes　my　powers　of　analysis。

It　was　already　five　minutes　after　three　o'clock；　my　dinner　hour；　when　he　at　length　appeared　in　the　Library；　and　possibly　I　put　some　reproach　into　my　greeting：　〃Won't　you　walk　along　with　me　to　Mrs。　Trevise's？〃　（That　was　my　boarding　house。）

〃I　could　not　get　away　from　the　Custom　House　sooner；〃　he　explained；　and　into　his　eyes　there　came　for　a　moment　that　look　of　unrest　and　pre…　occupation　which　I　had　observed　at　times　while　we　had　discussed　Newport　and　alcoholic　girls。　The　two　subjects　seemed　certainly　far　enough　apart！　But　he　immediately　began　upon　a　conversation　briskly　enoughso　briskly　that　I　suspected　at　once　he　had　got　his　subject　ready　in　advance；　he　didn't　want　me　to　speak　first；　lest　I　turn　the　talk　into　channels　embarrassing；　such　as　bruised　foreheads　or　wedding　cake。　Well；　this　should　not　prevent　me　from　dropping　in　his　cup　the　wholesome　bitters　which　I　had　prepared。

〃Well；　sir！　Well；　sir！〃　such　was　his　hearty　preface。　〃I　wonder　if　you're　feeling　ashamed　of　yourself？〃

〃Never　when　I　read　Shakespeare；〃　I　answered　restoring　the　plume　to　its　place。

He　looked　at　the　title。　〃Which　one？〃

〃One　of　the　unsuitable　love　affairs　that　was　prevented　in　time。〃

〃Romeo　and　Juliet？〃

〃No；　Bottom　and　Titaniaand　Romeo　and　JuIiet　were　not　prevented　in　time。　They　had　their　bliss　once　and　to　the　full；　and　died　before　they　caused　each　other　anything　but　ecstasy。　No　weariness　of　routine；　no　tears　of　disenchantment；　complete　love；　completely　realizedand　finis！　It's　the　happiest　ending　of　all　the　plays。〃

He　looked　at　me　hard。　〃Sometimes　I　believe　you're　ironic！

I　smiled　at　him。　〃A　sign　of　the　highest　civilization；　then。　But　please　to　think　of　Juliet　after　ten　years　of　Romeo　and　his　pin…headed　intelligence　and　his　preordained　infidelities。　Do　you　imagine　that　her　predecessor；　Rosamond；　would　have　had　no　successors？　Juliet　would　have　been　compelled　to　divorce　Romeo；　if　only　for　the　children's　sake。

〃The　children！〃　cried　John　Mayrant。　〃Why；　it's　for　their　sake　deserted　women　abstain　from　divorce！〃

〃Juliet　would　see　deeper　than　such　mothers。　She　could　not　have　her　little　sons　and　daughters　grow　up　and　comprehend　their　father